Sunday, January 21, 2018

DANA LOESCH ATTACKED KAYLEIGH McENANY IN 2016 FOR BEING WHAT LOESCH IS NOW

A profile of NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch in today's New York Times begins with some criticism (Loesch is a "radio talk-show host and political commentator who views the world through a lens of fear and violence") but ends with a considerable amount of sympathy (in the conclusion, Loesch expresses her regret that she and the profile's author, Laura Holson, were unable to attend church together). In between, we learn about some of the key moments in Loesch's career, including this incident, which perhaps shouldn't be called a key career moment because it seems to have had no negative impact on Loesch's professional life:

... in 2016, Ms. Loesch expressed personal ire at Kayleigh McEnany, now the spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. Ms. McEnany had chided a friend of Ms. Loesch’s for not supporting Mr. Trump, then a Republican candidate, during a CNN segment. “Babycakes, this was more than just going on television and flashing your pearly whites and your flat chest, red dress, over-sprayed bleach blond hair,” Ms. Loesch told radio listeners.

This time, it seemed, she had gone too far. Ms. McEnany was undergoing treatment for a genetic predisposition to breast cancer.

In fact, with her NRA gig, Loesch's public profile is higher than ever.

And why did Loesch attack McEnany? Because McEnany was an early supporter of Donald Trump, at a time when Loesch backed Ted Cruz. Loesch was horrified that McEnany would back such a loathsome candidate. Here's what she wrote on her blog after she was criticized for the McEnany attack:

This election cycle the most fervent Trump supporters have excused, defended, even cheered a candidate that has mocked a disabled reporter, the appearance of cancer-survivor Carly Fiorina ... and womeningeneral. They mob-rage against anyone who demonstrates the slightest difference of opinion with them on Trump-the-candidate and when faced with feedback or criticism they recoil, as do feminists and Black Lives Matter, in want of a safe space. It's the furthest thing possible from being “politically incorrect.” In fact, this most fervent group's behavior is the epitome of Social Justice Warrior Political Correctness. I pointed this out in my monologue (also here and here) regarding a Trump surrogate who had the audacity to play bouncer of the conservative movement by personally attacking and smearing conservatives I know and claiming that you can't be a true conservative unless you whole-heartedly support Donald Trump. Her statement was asinine and my observation, delivered in the stated style of Donald Trump, was absolutely valid.

Yup, according to Loesch at that time (May 2016), it was outrageous to insist that everyone on the right close ranks and endorse Trump. He mistreated women! And the disabled!

A year later, she was arguing that antyone who resisted Trump wanted to "assassinate" the truth and needed to be opposed by armed members of the NRA:

They use their media to assassinate real news. They use their schools to teach children that their president is another Hitler. They use their movie stars and singers and comedy shows and award shows to repeat their narrative over and over again. And then they use their ex-president to endorse “the resistance.”

All to make them march. Make them protest. Make them scream racism and sexism and xenophobia and homophobia. To smash windows, burn cars, shut down interstates and airports, bully and terrorize the law-abiding — until the only option left is for the police to do their jobs and stop the madness.

And when that happens, they’ll use it as an excuse for their outrage. The only way we stop this, the only way we save our country and our freedom, is to fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth.

I’m the National Rifle Association of America. And I’m freedom’s safest place.

So it was fine for Loesch and other conservatives to denounce Trump in early 2016, and to attack those who jumped on the Trump train early. But now Loesch is as committed to Trump as McEnany was when Loesch attacked her. Now Loesch says that you dirty hippies better not say a discouraging word about the man. Got it?